Part 2: Four (More) Steps Toward Realizing Residential Design Dreams in 2012

Do you understand that the property owner has problems?

Understanding the problems behind his perceived need for your services is the REAL issue. Ignore it at your peril. Answer it and fulfill a dream.

A leaky roof and children who need to play (while it is raining) is the problem. The solution may or may not be a new addition. How do you provide true value-added service to your service relationship, so that you become the 'DREAM' team for the client?

(1) For the client, the architect will need to seek out problems that the new work will eliminate. Does he (or his wife) hate bringing laundry upstairs / downstairs? Why not shuffle the rooms around to include an upstairs laundry? Do they need more storage? Plan to convert the attic. Need more social space but can’t expand? Consider adding outside rooms covered with a canopy or awning. Have a lot of clutter? Innovative storage solutions exist that can 'declutterfy' his living space. The possibilities are indeed endless and can add overwhelmingly to the enjoyment of his house. As the design professional, look around and see what type of problems are evident from the first visit and communicate how your solutions will meet the needs. As a client, explore alternatives to using cash to solve your problems.
(2) Bills will never completely go away, but now is the time for the client to also consider the amount of money that will be paid for the house to function into the future. Will the independence that comes from having a solar electrical system be worth the cost of installation amortized until the system pays for itself? What of replacing windows and doors with higher efficiency models? What about using greywater systems to utilize and irrigate a landscape? Now is the time for your client to consider how he wants to live for the future. It is the designer's responsibility to bring those questions to light.

(3) Rethink the possible – After reinventing the interior, have the client think about the exterior. As an architect, exteriors of buildings are extremely important, and having dramatic curve appeal can greatly enhance the value of the home. But, since the client is living there, think about it… they spend more time on the inside of the home than the outside, right? Encourage non-structural solutions as well as structural ones (as fitting) in order to provide the greatest value to your client. Regardless, make sure that they are relevant and address the big picture needs as well as those mentioned when contact was first established.

(4) It is true that you can’t judge a book by its cover, but the condition of a house’s exterior can tell a lot about the care and diligence that is applied to the living spaces on the inside. The exterior of the house is the first thing that people see, and is thereby the source of first impressions. Make the redesign count by insuring that the impression and external appearance to be created is rock solid in its impact, landscape architecture notwithstanding.

By addressing all of these considerations, the architect is working with the client to address the reasons ‘why’ the work should be accomplished in the first place. Again, comprehending and solving the problems behind the perceived need is the REAL issue. Ignore it at your peril. Answer it and dreams are fulfilled.